August 23

When I was about 20 years old, I had one of the sweetest gigs on the planet. I house sat for several families. When they would leave Arizona for any reason, they’d hand me the keys and I’d essentially move in until they returned. Other times, they’d just ask me to stop in regularly, check the mail, and make sure there weren’t issues. Either way, I loved it without fail (except that time I had to hand-feed a Pit his meds...NEVER again…).

But the first time an owner handed me their house keys, I was overwhelmed with the responsibility and blown away by their trust.

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus gives Peter the keys to the kingdom. This doesn’t mean heaven is a gated community and Peter is the eternal security guard. (See how I’m relating to the local area!?)

It actually relates back to this week’s first reading (in Isaiah 22) where we learn about the role of “al bayith.” The term meant “over the house.” It was an office in the kingdom second only to the king and it was the person responsible when he was away. In the reading, a wicked man named Shebna occupied the office, but is being removed and replaced by Eli’akim.

This shows it is an office with succession, not the role created for just one individual. And it is a precursor to the papacy.

When Jesus gives Peter the keys, he is establishing an office like the “al bayith,” leaving Peter in charge while the King is away. But he isn’t just giving the keys to Peter, but the office of the papacy.

This is an absolutely world-shaking move on the part of Jesus. He taking the power to instruct the faith from the Jewish leaders and transferring it to Peter.

And I thought watching someone’s house was an awesome responsibility...

Questions? Comments? Email David at dlins@oloj.org.